Our latest STICK OF THE WEEK! is Shelley Glimcher. Shelley is in the NOW as founder of Playground ABCs, unique playground-inspired art for children that specializes in making one-of-a-kind Name prints, fun and colorful Alphabet prints, as well as Word and Word Poster Prints all from letters found at local playgrounds.
Shelley Glimcher
Before becoming a mom, Shelley Glimcher was a lecturer for The First Year Engineering Honors Program at The Ohio State University and a Clinical Research Coordinator at OSU Clinical Pharmacology. She studied at OSU for eight years prior to that and holds degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry and M.S. degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Clinical Pharmacology. Now, Shelley Glimcher is a 'domestic engineer' as a stay at home mom raising two wonderful sons, ages 1.5 and 3.5. Playground ABCs was inspired by Shelley's love of photography, engineering and spending time with her family.
Playground ABCs
Tell us about your NOW (Noodle On the Wall)
Playground ABCs started with a simple request from my son to have his name put above his door. I just couldn’t find the right special print and one day at the park it hit me, I could make him a unique nameplate out of letters at the park. Prior to having kids, I taught Engineering Graphics at a University, so “seeing” letters all over the place came easily to me as I was accustomed to looking at everyday objects from different perspectives. The project evolved from this very first nameplate to include alphabet prints, word posters, and then black and white last name prints. I love having colorful, fun, artwork for my boys’ walls with letters from some of their very favorite places.
My latest NOW is the Age, Love... Photos that showcase a photo of a child with their current interests. I’ve made these for my children and for children of close friends for birthdays this past year. After seeing grandparent’s and friend’s emotional responses, I knew I had to add these to the Playground ABCs line-up. These are especially fun to create as they are so personal and I know they will be cherished for years to come.
Playground ABCs started with a simple request from my son to have his name put above his door. I just couldn’t find the right special print and one day at the park it hit me, I could make him a unique nameplate out of letters at the park. Prior to having kids, I taught Engineering Graphics at a University, so “seeing” letters all over the place came easily to me as I was accustomed to looking at everyday objects from different perspectives. The project evolved from this very first nameplate to include alphabet prints, word posters, and then black and white last name prints. I love having colorful, fun, artwork for my boys’ walls with letters from some of their very favorite places.
My latest NOW is the Age, Love... Photos that showcase a photo of a child with their current interests. I’ve made these for my children and for children of close friends for birthdays this past year. After seeing grandparent’s and friend’s emotional responses, I knew I had to add these to the Playground ABCs line-up. These are especially fun to create as they are so personal and I know they will be cherished for years to come.
Is your NOW simmering, al dente or fully cooked and why?
My NOW is definitely just simmering. I don’t think it will ever become al dente or fully cooked since it is constantly evolving with different ideas. I only wish I had enough hours in the day to bring them all to fruition!
What recipes can you give other Creative Moms Taking On The Creative?
I would say to be proud of what you create, regardless if it is a ‘hit’ or a ‘miss’. As long as you enjoy what you are creating, keep at it. You never know who might appreciate and be touched by your work.
What motivated you to throw your noodle?
I’m fortunate to have a fantastic husband, family, and friends who give me a lot of encouragement, support, and feedback. Without them, I would have never gotten this project remotely off of the ground.
I love creating different things using photographs and this gives me the perfect opportunity to do just that. I had learned basics of SLR photography and image editing in graduate school and this noodle challenged me to not only hone those technical skills, but also provided me with the creative outlet I can work on everyday.
What inspires you as a Mom and as a creative person?
I love being able to capture special moments in photographs - the simple joy of swinging, huge smiles coming down the slide, the thrill of climbing to new heights... there really isn’t anything quite like a child at a playground. While I usually just let my kids play, I love that I have a way to introduce letters to them using surroundings we are already in. I hope the searching for letters helps them start to look at and explore everyday objects from just a little different perspective.
How do you juggle Mamahood and your NOW?
Right now Mamahood comes first and foremost as my sons are still young. We do explore a lot of playgrounds and parks so I have the opportunity to photograph letters during the day while they play. While I would like to have more time to work on my NOW, it is relegated to the little spare time I have late in the evening once the boys are in bed, chores are finished, my photoblog for grandparents is updated, and the house is quiet. They are only so young once and I feel like this NOW is something I can continue to do for years to come. There is little pressure to focus fully on the NOW and instead enjoy the simple, everyday moments with my boys.
What is your ultimate pasta dish?
As far as my NOW, I just don’t know just yet, that is half the fun!
From a cooking standpoint, I like to keep it simple - roasted garlic and parmesan on top of linguini. :)
My NOW is definitely just simmering. I don’t think it will ever become al dente or fully cooked since it is constantly evolving with different ideas. I only wish I had enough hours in the day to bring them all to fruition!
What recipes can you give other Creative Moms Taking On The Creative?
I would say to be proud of what you create, regardless if it is a ‘hit’ or a ‘miss’. As long as you enjoy what you are creating, keep at it. You never know who might appreciate and be touched by your work.
What motivated you to throw your noodle?
I’m fortunate to have a fantastic husband, family, and friends who give me a lot of encouragement, support, and feedback. Without them, I would have never gotten this project remotely off of the ground.
I love creating different things using photographs and this gives me the perfect opportunity to do just that. I had learned basics of SLR photography and image editing in graduate school and this noodle challenged me to not only hone those technical skills, but also provided me with the creative outlet I can work on everyday.
What inspires you as a Mom and as a creative person?
I love being able to capture special moments in photographs - the simple joy of swinging, huge smiles coming down the slide, the thrill of climbing to new heights... there really isn’t anything quite like a child at a playground. While I usually just let my kids play, I love that I have a way to introduce letters to them using surroundings we are already in. I hope the searching for letters helps them start to look at and explore everyday objects from just a little different perspective.
How do you juggle Mamahood and your NOW?
Right now Mamahood comes first and foremost as my sons are still young. We do explore a lot of playgrounds and parks so I have the opportunity to photograph letters during the day while they play. While I would like to have more time to work on my NOW, it is relegated to the little spare time I have late in the evening once the boys are in bed, chores are finished, my photoblog for grandparents is updated, and the house is quiet. They are only so young once and I feel like this NOW is something I can continue to do for years to come. There is little pressure to focus fully on the NOW and instead enjoy the simple, everyday moments with my boys.
What is your ultimate pasta dish?
As far as my NOW, I just don’t know just yet, that is half the fun!
From a cooking standpoint, I like to keep it simple - roasted garlic and parmesan on top of linguini. :)
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